VCS Social Services
Quarter 4
Wrapping Up the School Year
Whether you have a kindergartener, incoming middle schooler, graduate, or all ages in between, please reach out to your building social worker for additional information or resources.
McKinney-Vento & Housing Insecurity
If you could benefit from such support please reach out to your school social worker or Dr. Erin Hawkins at 219-531-3000 ext. 5306 or ehawkins@valpo.k12.in.us.
Dressed for School
Dressed for School is a non-profit organization that aims to help elementary students who could benefit from acquiring new, quality clothing, at no cost, in a shopping environment. Dressed for School collaborated with Valparaiso Community Schools to sponsor another clothing distribution for elementary students in April.
If your family could benefit from Dressed for School resources, but you missed this event, contact dressed for school via email at: dressedforschoolvalpo@gmail.com or visit their website.
Community Resources
With summer quickly approaching the VCS Social Service Team wants to ensure everyone in our community has access to all the wonderful resources Valparaiso and Porter County have to offer! The following are several links to commonly used resources:
Check out the VCS Nutrition Page for Updates on the Summer Food Program:
Food Pantries:
Porter County Community Resource Guide
Food Bank Of Northwest Indiana
NWI Food Bank Mobile Food Markets:
Location - Valparaiso Family YMCA
Date - 2nd Tuesday of Every Month
Time - 1:00pm-3:00pm (or while supplies last)
Bring State Issued Identification
Resources Offered in Porter County Including Food Pantry Listings:
Indiana 211 Resource Link:
https://in211.communityos.org/
National Alliance on Mental Illness:
https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Family-Members-and-Caregivers
Finding a Mental Health Professional Resource:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Emergency Contacts:
Text Crisis Hotline (text HELLO to 741741)
The Trevor Lifeline (866-488-7386)
Suicide Hotline (800-273-8255)
Porter-Starke Services (219-531-3500)
Valpo PD 462-2135
SAMHSA National helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
Elementary School Happenings
Middle School Visit Dates: 5th grade will be visiting Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Benjamin Franklin Middle School the week of May 16th. Be on the lookout for information from your school to learn more details.
Kindergarten Round Up: If you have an incoming kindergartener for the 2022-2023 school year, make sure to check out the link on the VCS website! If you would like to talk to the school social worker about your student, please don't hesitate to contact your school.
Field Day Festivities: Field day planning is underway for our schools. Look for more information to come, and get ready for some end-of-the-year fun!
Middle School Happenings
Start practicing using a combination lock over the summer. One of the biggest stressors on those first couple days of middle school surrounds opening lockers! It is helpful to have your student start practicing how to use a combination lock to ease some of those anxieties.
Print out and review your students schedule. Having a good understanding of how to read and understand their schedule is always helpful before the first day of school.
Practice organization skills. Going from one class to several different classes and teachers is a major transition. Start discussing basic organization skills using folders, binders, and notebooks. It may also be helpful to discuss a nightly homework plan.
Our goal is to make every student's transition as smooth as possible! Teachers and staff will work with all 6th graders to ensure they are supported and have a smooth transition.
Valpo High School Happenings
Media Center Chill Out Room: The VHS media center now offers this space, and we owe a big thank you to our VHS Media Specialist, Kris Arthur, for making this possible. This is a unique space for teens to use when experiencing high levels of stress. The space incorporates comfortable seating, low lighting, soft music, and optional activities such as creative coloring, origami, mats for stretching, puzzles, and more. Below are the activities in April and May.
- April 18-22 - Creative Coloring, Origami, Stretching, Stick Together, Stained Glass Jar, Monitor Showing Marine Life
- April 25-29 - Creative Coloring, Origami, Stretching, Stick Together, Pop-up Card, White Board with Inspirational Quotes
- May 2-6 - Creative Coloring, Origami, Stretching, Stick Together, Clay/Playdoh, Soft Music
Goggles and Carts Program: This program will be happening on April 28th and is to simulate driving under the influence and the dangers that come with it. Participating students will be driving a golf cart with an adult while wearing goggles that are designed to simulate different levels of BAC (blood alcohol content). Check out the website for more information!